Missing Scenes for Season Two
by deadwomanwalking
Summary: These are the scenes that either happened in the show that wasn't in the chapters, from my other story Season One that happened in the series or that happened to the characters but we didn't get to see it on the show.
1. Missing Scenes for What Lies Ahead

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters I'm just having fun with them

POVs as written before and after Highway: Rick, Lori, Glenn, Dale, Carl, Shane, Andrea, Rick, Carl, T-Dog, Shane, Andrea, Sophia

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Bad Language

A/N: Bold print is third person view

M.S for Episode 1

Signing Off

I got up early and walked to the edge of the highway that was close to a suburban area we'd chosen to stay at the last couple of nights, while we regrouped and downsized our convoy. There was a guardrail overlooking Atlanta, I crouched near it as I pulled out my walkie-talkie and tried to get in touch with Morgan again.

"I guess I'm losing hope that you can hear. But there's always that chance, isn't there? That slim chance. It's all about slim chances now. I tried to do everything right, keep people safe. I tried, Morgan. I tried. Our groups smaller now, we lost another day before last. It was her choice, I won't say I blame her, but she lost faith. The C.D.C. was a dead end; I met a man there, a scientist." I walked over to the edge of the rail and looked out.

"He told me something, he told me…" I clicked off for a second before turning my back to the city and continued. "It doesn't matter. What matters is we're moving on, Atlanta's done. We're gonna try for Fort Benning. We're facing a long hard journey, maybe even harder than I can imagine. But it can't be harder than our journey's been so far. Can it?"

"A hundred and twenty-five miles—that's what lies ahead. And I'm trying hard not to lose faith. I can't. If I do, the others…my family, my wife…my son. There's just a few of us now. So we've got to stick together, fight for each other, be willing to lay down our lives for each other if it comes to that. It's the only chance we've got. Be careful out there, Morgan. I hope you and Duane are okay. Stay off the road. Keep moving. Keep your eyes open, I don't know, just—just be safe. Maybe we'll see you in Fort Benning someday. Rick signing off." I clicked off and headed back to the rest so we could get going down the highway to Fort Benning.

* * *

That's a promise

Rick was driving; I was in the passenger seat. Carl, Carol and Sophia were in the back when I spoke up. "Just thinking about our trip to the Grand Canyon with Carl." Rick started laughing as he tapped the wheel and put his elbow on the window; we'd rolled them down to give us a nice breeze, trying to save the battery for as long as we could.

"I don't remember that." Carl said from behind me, Sophia was next to him and Carol had the window seat behind Rick.

"No, you wouldn't you were just a baby. And besides, we never made it past Fort Worth." I told him.

"No, you got sick. I never knew a baby could throw up so much." Rick finished explaining as we started laughing.

"Ick." Carl said.

"Yeah, ick." I agreed. "The doctor in Texas said you'd live. Then we turned around and drove home." I finished as I looked at Rick before looking out the window.

"That sucks." Carl said.

"No, it was a good trip." I told him.

"The best." Rick agreed as he glanced at me.

"Can we go see it? The Grand Canyon?" Carl asked. "I'd like to."

"I would too." Sophia seconded. "Can we go?" She asked.

"We'd never go without you and your mom." Rick said as he looked back at them. "That's a promise." He turned his attention back to the road. I reached my hand back and took Carols who smiled at Sophia as she laid her head down on her mother's shoulder.

* * *

Starting To Get a Bad Feeling

It was quite, I was sitting in the passenger seat as Dele drove the R.V. Shane and Andrea were sitting at the table while he cleaned his gun. T-Dog was in the back. I was rubbing my stomach absent mindedly as I watched Daryl in front of us on his Harley.

"Looks complicated." I heard Andrea say. I looked back and saw she was watching Shane clean his gun.

"The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way." Shane explained. "I could clean yours, show you how." He suggested. He bent down to the bag of guns at his feet and pulled out Andrea's pistol, cocked it and aimed it, keeping his finger off the trigger. "Oh yeah." He said as he looked down the barrel. "It's a sweet piece." Shane commented as he rested it on his lap.

"It was a gift from my father. He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves." She informed him.

I looked back at the road as they continued to talk. "Smart man, your father. Look, it's a—it's a limited capacity. See? Only holds seven rounds." Shane instructed before he was interrupted by Dale.

"Oh jeez." I saw it too, it wasn't good.

"Oh, no." I said as I looked at the eighteen wheeler on its side, it wasn't the only problem we were facing. T-Dog who'd been came up front at that time so he could see what was wrong, the road was covered in cars, and Dale slowed to a stop.

Daryl who had gone on ahead of us was coming back; he stopped next to Dale's window. Dale looked out and asked. "See a way through?"

He nodded and tossed his headed back then drove to Rick's station wagon behind us, before coming around to and start leading us through. As Daryl left Dale started on again slowly, I was looking at the map as I suggested.

"Uh, maybe we should just go back. There's an interstate bypass—"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale interrupted. Shane was leaning on Dale's seat now so he could see better.

There were so many cars abandoned, some flipped others on the side of the road it looked like a lot of chaos went on here. I was starting to get a bad feeling about this as I saw Daryl ahead of us leading the way.

"Jeez." I said when my stomach grumbled. I was hungry and thirsty, but I didn't say anything or comment on it. Some of the cars weren't empty as we noticed a few dead bodies. Then Dale's radiator hose blew on us as the engine died.

* * *

Highway Dale's POV

I opened the grill to my engine as Glenn came back after going to get a screw driver like I'd asked. If there was anywhere to break down a highway covered in abandoned cars would be the best place to do it. He held two out. "Which one?" He asked.

"The flathead." I told him as I took it from his hand leaving the Philips head. "Radiator hose clamp is always a flathead." I instructed. "Here, you do it." I said as I handed him the flathead back, the boy had to learn sometime, especially if he wanted to survive and provide for himself and the kid growing inside him.

He took the flathead and passed me the Philips head as I gave him a blue bandanna to serve as his grease rag. "Learn something." I patted his back as I walked to the back end and climbed the ladder up to the roof of my R.V. to keep watch.

For a few minutes it was quite and everything was going good. I saw Shane find a water truck, I could hear their laughter as Shane doused himself it what these days was considered better than gold.

I turned around slowly then something caught my eye; I wasn't sure at first as I brought the binoculars up and took a closer look. But it was a walker, then a second one. I looked further and soon I saw dozens, looked like a whole herd was headed our way. I pulled the binoculars away, as I slowly got on my knees then down on my belly to lay flat.

I stayed still for a couple of minutes as Rick had ran to the others and got them under cars, that is until I heard Andrea below me, as I looked through the window above the bathroom I saw her. She was sitting on the ground as a walker was trying to get at her through the door, she was keeping it closed with her feet, but it wasn't holding very well. She had pieces of a gun on a blue rag in her lap; otherwise she was completely unarmed; she looked up at me with both anger and terror in her eyes. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Philips head screwdriver I'd taken from Glenn earlier and busted the screen with it before dropping it down to her; she caught it, and gripped the handle with both hands before she jumped up and attacked the walker.

It was several minutes when I heard Sophia screaming, I looked and saw her run into the woods being chased by two walkers, Rick wasn't far behind as he followed them. I headed off my R.V. to where the rest were starting to gather at the guardrail.

* * *

Highway Glenn's POV

Dale left me with the flathead screw driver and radiator hose that I was to take out. I didn't think about the steam as I coughed while unscrewing the clamps. I probably shouldn't have been doing that in my condition, but it didn't hurt me or what was growing inside me, I just had to be a little more careful, then and in the future should Daryl and I decide to grow our family.

"Shane." I called, he'd been keeping watch along with Rick, he turned to me and I showed him the hose I'd just detached from the engine. He nodded and I headed off with hose in one hand and screw driver in the other to the cars to see if I could find a matching one to replace it, Shane followed behind with his shot gun just in case.

There was a white van with its hood propped up that looked like it might have a match for us. I was trying to get the screws to come loose that was keeping the radiator hose connected to this van. "Come on." I muttered as Shane walked to a delivery truck right behind us or in front depending on the direction we were facing.

He set his shotgun down as he rushed to the side of the truck. I heard the sound of him opening the side when he called. "Glenn." I stopped as I looked at him. "Were we short on water?" He asked.

He popped one of the many water containers on the truck and doused himself, I smiled as I laughed and finally got the screw the give, Shane was laughing too.

"Hey, save me some!" I told him. There were over a dozen full containers; it was great, the first sign that our luck might be changing. If only.

"It's like being baptized, man." Shane said as he doused himself again.

I was almost done when suddenly Shane grabbed me and pushed me down. "Ow." I said as I scraped my knee on the road as I got on my stomach and crawled under the car. Shane rolled in next to me. "What?" I asked as I looked out between the wheels.

"Shh." He told me.

I realized why he pushed me under here when I saw the legs of many, many walkers as they passed by. I placed my hand at my belly as I thought of Daryl; I hoped and prayed that he was safe. I know now that if there's anyone that can survive this world it's Daryl.

"Shit." I mumbled, Shane looked at me with a 'what's wrong' expression. "I have to throw up." I whispered to him. Shane shook his head at me, now was not the time for my morning sickness to rear its ugly head. I moved on my side to relieve the pressure on my stomach, Shane did the same putting his back to mine as he grabbed his shot gun.

I closed my eyes then and breathed the best I could what with the stench of death filling my nostrils. I tried to will my mind to go anywhere but the present. Like my first kiss, my first date, when I first realized I was in love. Who knew it'd be a zombie apocalypse that led me to my soul mate, if you believe in such things.

I opened my eyes as their noises were getting further off. I looked around and saw the legs were gone, I didn't get out yet as I waited. I had tears in my eyes as I tried not to cry when I realized that this would be our baby's life, hiding under cars or running scared, afraid they'd get eaten if I ever let it out of my sight. I placed my hand on my stomach for a few minutes before we started to come out of hiding, we heard Sophia start to scream and headed that way in time to see Rick disappear into the woods.

* * *

Highway Andrea's POV

I headed to a truck, I saw a pink and black bag unzipped, next to it was a pink backpack with a name on it I forget what name it was a girl is what I could gather from the color. And a baby bottle, I gasped as I looked around, there had been milk still in that bottle. It made me think of Glenn and the impossible these mutations pull off. Then fear crept up on me, what if Glenn is unable to protect his kid, what if Daryl's not cut out to be a father. The man was barely civilized as it was.

I walked back to the R.V. as I saw Glenn and Shane go off to find a replacement part, Rick was standing outside with a riffle in hand, it was good to be armed and ready, Dale was on top with his binoculars keeping a bird's eye view.

I remembered there were guns inside that were still in pieces. I figured might as well try and figure out how to put them back together. I sat at the table and saw all the pieces scattered on it. "Okay." I told myself as I got started.

I grabbed pieces and looked at them as I tried to figure out in my head what a gun looked like all together then tried to recreate that look.

I was oblivious to what was going on outside the R.V., I had no idea that walkers were out there, just passing me as I was trying to figure out this gun. That is until I heard something; I lifted my head and looked outside the window and at the dozens of walkers. I panicked as I got on the floor. "Oh, God." I whispered.

Suddenly a walker's arm entered the R.V. from the open door. I reached up and grabbed the rag that the gun parts had been laying on wrapped up the gun and started scooting back to the bathroom, where I set the gun in my lap and closed the door. But because this was an R.V. it didn't have a real door more like a partition that was a flimsy excuse at best.

I rested against the wall across from the door and opened the rag, I started trying to put the gun back together with no luck. I could hear its snarls and growls outside the door, which was making my breath quicken and hands shake. I paused in my movements not wanting to alert it to my presence.

I heard it shuffle passed and started working on the gun again telling myself it was okay, as I tried to calm my racing heart. Suddenly as I tried to fit the pieces together they all clanged together rather loudly. "Shit." I mumbled.

I sat against the wall and propped my feet up against the door to keep it shut as I heard snarling right outside. Suddenly it was pushing at the partition and I started screaming. I screamed more as I saw its arm get inside; I didn't want to die not like this.

I looked up as it was pushing to get in and saw Dale's face looking down at me through the partly open window. This was his fault; I wouldn't be her now, I would no longer be scared if he hadn't put me in that situation back at the C.D.C. I was so angry at him and so terrified at the walker outside the door.

He broke the screen with a screw driver as he dropped it to me; I'd reached up and caught as he let it go. Then held it by the handle as the walker was looking in at me pushing at the door.

I cried as I realized what I had to do in order to live. I let the door go and jumped to my feet as the walker pushed open the partition. I ran at him thrusting the screw driver into the walkers eye, it came at me again I pulled out the driver and did it again, then pushed him to the ground and continued to stab it into the walkers head spraying blood on my neck and face as I cried until it stopped moving.

Then I backed away from it still crying in fear and anger. I cried and whimpered as the walkers moved off, I was jittery there on the floor covered in blood as my hand continued to tap on the fridge that was to my left, my other hand was braced on the wall as I tried to get my racing heart to settle down, and tell my mind that the threat was over, before I slowly stood up. And joined the rest outside.

* * *

Highway Lori's POV

Carl and I headed to look through the cars, I wanted to keep him close, I felt like we were grave robbing here, but the others I guess didn't think that way. Even after I mentioned it no one spoke up to agree, they just started to ransack what use to belong to someone living who was now most likely dead, or undead.

I walked up to the driver's side of a car and bent down to look in, and there in the passenger seat was a dead body, one that didn't come back, there were flies buzzing all over her. I stood up and continued on, Carol had joined me as she looked in after I did.

"Kid's, don't look." Carol said.

For several minutes we went about looking in different vehicles, I had started looking through a van when Rick suddenly showed up telling me to get under the car. I ran alongside the van to Carol, grabbed her wrist as she was headed for the kids. I pulled her down.

"Carl and Sophia. Sophia." She whispered panicked as I covered her mouth.

"Shh, shh. Get under." I told her pushing her under the van.

Rick was watching us on his back under a car not far from the one we were hiding under. He saw me trying to keep Carol quite as she was crying in fear for her baby. He put his hand out in a stay there manner. For several minutes we stayed there until we thought it was safe. Sophia started to come out from under her car when two walkers appeared and they chased her into the woods, Rick followed. We ran to the guardrail I grabbed Carol to keep her from chasing after them as the rest of the group joined us.

* * *

Highway Carol's POV

While the others were siphoning gas and looking for a radiator hose I found a car with clothes in it. I saw this red blouse that was real pretty. I picked it up and placed it over me and looked down as I held it, it looked like it might fit. I looked up and saw Lori watching me from a neighboring car.

I started folding it up and putting it back as I explained. "Ed, never let me wear nice things like this." I closed up the suit case and started pulling it from the car. "We're gonna need clothes." I walked to the car where Lori had been standing as I looked at the flash lights and basket of possible useable items.

Lori walked to the car I was just at then stopped as she addressed her son who was standing close by with my daughter. "Hey, Carl. Always within my sight, okay?" Carl nodded.

"You too, Sophia." I told her. Then got back to looking for clothes or anything else that would be useful, we did that for several minutes until Rick showed up and told the kids to get down. I tried to get to Sophia but Lori grabbed me and pulled me under a van.

I laid there with Lori as I looked around and saw Sophia on her stomach clutching her doll under a car not far from us. I kept my eye on her as we waited; I covered my mouth terrified what was going to happen. Lori helped as she wrapped her arm around me holding her hand over my mouth so I wouldn't alert the walkers to us.

They moved off, the walkers just stumbled right passed us; I wiped the tears that had fallen on my cheeks. It was quite for a few minutes, I saw Sophia start to crawl out from under her car when a walker appeared and she started screaming as she scooted to the other side.

Lori covered my mouth again to keep me from speaking as I cried for my little girl. I saw the walker down on the ground trying to get to her, I reached my hand out wanting to get my daughter when Lori grabbed my arm with her other hand and kept me from doing anything. I screamed into her hand as I watched.

I saw Sophia crawl out from under the truck and she started to run down a small incline into some woods while two walkers were chasing her, my baby girl. Rick chased after them, as I followed him to the guardrail where Lori grabbed him and held me as I cried while the rest of the group joined us.

* * *

Highway Rick's POV

I was at the back of the R.V. and using Dale's binoculars keeping an eye out for anything that might threaten us, back then I thought walkers were the biggest threat, and for a while they were, but ask me now, I'd tell you it would be humans. There are two things that can happen to a person during an apocalypse, they'll either show the best of humanity, or the worst. I've experienced plenty of both.

Dale walked up to me, I handed him the binoculars, he took them then headed on top of his R.V. as I reasserted my hold on the riffle I'd grabbed after everyone started to split up.

Andrea and I passed each other as she headed inside, I looked up at Dale. "It's all good." He told me as he looked through his binoculars again. I walked back and forth for several minutes when I turned and saw something, I brought my riffle up looking through the scope to get a closer look.

I saw it, a walker, it appeared to be just one; I lowered my gun as I loaded a shot into the chamber. I steadied it against my shoulder and looked through the scope again as I aimed, I was about to fire when another walker appeared from behind a truck. I aimed at the second one as I put my finger on the trigger.

I was going to shot when another showed up, I moved the scope and soon it was filled with walkers. I took it down and saw them, dozens headed our way. "Oh Christ." I gasped as I got down behind a flipped car, I saw Dale getting down to lay flat on the roof when I ran off to warn the rest.

I weaved through cars until I saw my wife; she was looking through a van at the time. "Lori, under the cars." I whispered urgently, as she turned to me. She moved to obey immediately. I looked at the kids. "Carl, Sophia get down now." I ordered leaving no room to argue, I saw the kids run for the cars.

I got under a truck that was next to the vehicle Carl dove under. I was on my back as I looked and saw Lori with Carol across from me.

I looked at Carl as we saw the feet shuffling passed us, he moved further under the car. I put my hand up in a stay put manner and then put my finger to my mouth so he'd be quite. We were all scared.

I kept my eyes on Carl as the last of the herd walked passed us, I looked up at Lori and Carol, we were all safe, and we were going to be okay, at least I thought we would be.

I didn't hear anything for a few minutes, it sounded safe, I looked at Carl, he smiled at me, and I felt relieved as well. Until I saw Sophia start to come out from under her car. There was a growl as a straggling walker showed up, Sophia started sobbing and screaming as it came at her. The walker got down and tried to reach for her as she scooted away.

I looked around; then grabbed my riffle I'd kept by me. The walker was crawling under the car after her as she screamed and cried while crawling to the other side until she could get to her feet. I noticed a second walker going around to the other side of the car where Sophia was crawling from. I saw her get up then headed down the hill into the woods, the two walkers chasing her.

I got to my feet riffle in hand, I gave chase after her. I ran to the guardrail and jumped over, I headed down the incline when I tripped and rolled the rest of the way, once I came to a stop I got to my feet and ran into the woods, I left my riffle where I'd dropped it.

I got into the woods as I heard Sophia; I turned and saw her running, the two walkers right behind. I headed around to get her from the front. I had my right hand on my pistol as I ran.

I stopped for a second as I saw the walkers; I didn't stay long as they didn't have to catch their breath. She fell as I was getting close and just as she got back to her feet and was about to run again I caught her. I got to my knee as I tried to calm her down.

"Are you all right? Are you okay?" I asked.

"Shoot them!" She screamed as she reached for my pistol still in its holster.

I pulled her back as I said. "No, no!" I had her look at me as I continued. "Those walkers on the road would hear it. Then it wouldn't be just two, it'd be hundreds." I told her. "Come here, come on." I said as I picked her up and started running again. She had one arm around my neck her other holding her doll close.

I saw a creek bed. "All right, just hold here." I told her as I set her down. I jumped into the water. "You stay there, wait." I turned then and said. "Come on." She reached down as I grabbed her around the waist, she wrapped her legs and arms around me as I turned and looked around until I saw a good place for her to hide.

I ran to a burrow in the creek it had branches covering it. I set her on the ground again as I said. "Sophia, you have to do exactly as I say. Hide in there, squeeze in tight, I'll draw them away from you."

"No, no, don't leave me." She begged in a panic.

I grabbed her wrists as I said. "Listen, listen, listen. They don't get winded I do, I can only deal with them one at a time, I wouldn't be able to protect you." I put my hands on her face comfortingly as I continued. "This is how we both survive, you understand?" She nodded. "Okay? Go, go, go, go." She turned and crouched down into the burrow.

I could hear them coming, I bent down as she looked at me. "If I don't make it back, run back to the highway, back to the others straight the way we came. Keep the sun on your left shoulder." I instructed, touching my shoulder so she'd understand; then stood as I saw them.

I backed away, they stood at the edge. "Come on." I told them as I threw water in their direction. They just growled at me. "You ugly son of a bitch, come on!" I screamed at 'em. Finally one stumbled in landing on his front in the water, I backed away. He started getting up. "Come on!" I screamed at 'em again.

The other one headed around the creek bed while the first one started after me as I headed deeper into the creek leading them away from Sophia.

Every few steps I'd look at him and egg 'em on to keep following me. I stumbled and fell face first into the water. I crawled away as I tried to get to my feet, while the first one still chased me.

I got to my feet and looked back to see the second one catching up. "Come on!" I screamed as I ran full out. I stopped as I didn't see them, but I could hear them, I figured this was a good enough spot to fight back. I looked around the small clearing and saw a rather nice sized rock, I picked it up with ease, it looked heavy certainly didn't feel it though.

I hid behind a tree as I heard the first one stumble into the clearing; he was getting closer to me. I braced the rock with both hands so it'd be a better impact with the guy's head. Once he was a few steps closer I came out of hiding and hit him in the cheek with the rock, it threw him back, as I saw the second one walking into the clearing.

The first one fell to the ground on his back, I knelt over him and with the rock in hand I used all my strength and hit him with it, the head smashed in as brain matter flew out of the top of his skull.

I stood back up as the second one got closer, I prepared my rock, then threw it as hard as I could, it took the walkers head clean off, as his body fell and its head rolled away with the rock stuck to its blood splattered face.

I was sure they were both not coming back as I headed to the ditch where I'd left Sophia. I was tired and bloody, wet and sweaty as I got to the ditch. I looked in and didn't see her. "Sophia." I looked around, I headed back to the highway hoping that's where she'd gone, as I had instructed.

* * *

A Herd

After Glenn and Shane got back, Glenn headed to look through more cars for food and water while Shane gave direction and order. He did inform us that Daryl and Rick were on Sophia's trail and should be back hopefully before nightfall. Shane decided that when we got Sophia back we'd turn around and go through the bypass like Glenn had suggested before the R.V. broke down. So Shane and Andrea started getting cars off the road. Shane used the station wagon to push the cars, while Andrea took hold of the wheels and steered them into the small ditch that separated the coming from the going.

Carol was staying near the guardrail as she watched and waited for Daryl and Rick to get back with Sophia. I turned and continued to work on getting the radiator hose attached to the R.V. at least making it look like that was what I was doing.

Carol walked up to me a few seconds later as Shane backed the station wagon up and parked. "Why aren't we all out there looking? Why are we moving cars?" She asked.

"We have to clear enough room so I can get the R.V. turned around as soon as it's running." I explained, as Shane turned the station wagon off and got out. "Now that we have fuel we can double back to a bypass that Glenn flagged on the map." I finished as Shane walked up and stood next to her.

"Going back's going to be easier than trying to get through this mess." Shane said as the rest were coming back with food, water battles, clothes and other necessity's like toiletry items.

"We're not going anywhere till my daughter gets back." Carol told him.

"Hey, that goes without saying." Lori said as she walked up and placed her hand on Carol's arm comfortingly.

"Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay? Just a matter of time." Shane told her.

"Can't be soon enough for me." Andrea said as she and Glenn walked up to us, she tossed Glenn a water bottle, and as she uncapped her bottle she said. "I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed us by, or whatever you'd call it." She took a sip.

"Yeah, what was that? All of them just marching along like that." Glenn asked as he uncapped his bottle.

"A herd. That sounds about right. We've seen it. It's like the night camp got attacked, some wandering pack, only fewer." Shane explained. He cleared his throat before continuing. "Okay. Come on people, we still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it, let's go, come on." He walked away, Glenn followed while he drank, and Carol went back to the guardrail and waited.

* * *

Successful

While the rest were finding food and clothes, I saw a truck and looked in to see a black rolled up tool bag that had an axe or hatchet sticking out of it resting against some dead guy. I wanted that hatchet.

I got down and walked around to the driver's side where the guy was. I reached for the handle of the door and pushed on the handle, it took a couple of tries but it finally released and I pulled it open. The guy was belted in, his arm dangling limply there, and he stunk. Over time I got use to the smell.

I grabbed the wheel using it for leverage as I reached in for the tool bag on his other side. It wouldn't budge so I let go of the wheel and grabbed it with both hands and pulled. I just wasn't tall enough so I let the tools go and stepped up into the truck getting closer to the dead guy.

I grabbed it firmly with both hands and tugged, it was really stuck as I only got a few inches of it. I moved my left hand to the back of it and yanked again. It loosened up, then suddenly the dead guy fell toward me I shrieked as I fell back on the ground, he was trapped by the seat belt as he just laid there not moving. I looked at the guy, and then at the tool bag in my arms, I had been successful.

I stood up and ran off to show Shane what I'd found, he was at some car fixing it or taking it apart not sure which.

* * *

Leaving

I had come to the decision that I needed to leave, so I found a car that was in pretty good shape, it was a small Honda that just needed a few engine repairs. I was under the hood with my wrench when I heard Carl calling my name. I looked up as he came into view and his mother ran up to him.

"Carl, what happened?" She asked him.

"Mom, I found something cool." Carl said as he ran around the car to me. He placed the tool bag on the ground and started to unroll it as he said. "Shane, check it out." It was filled with sharp objects that could be used to defend ourselves against walkers. "It's an arsenal." Carl said as I had yet to speak.

"That's cool, bud, go give 'em to Dale." I instructed as I continued to work on the car.

"Check this one out." Carl said as he pulled one of the weapons from the bag. "Whoa, it's a hatchet."

"Be careful, don't play with those." Lori said as she started walking up to him.

"They're really sharp." He said making slashing motions with it.

"What did I just say?" Lori was irritated that Carl wasn't listening to her.

"Can I keep one?" Carl asked her.

"Are you crazy?" Lori asked as she reached down and took it from him.

"No way. Shane, Shane, tell her to let me keep one." He said, Lori bent down to put the hatchet back. I was getting annoyed that he hadn't done what I said.

I looked at him. "Hey, man, go give them all to Dale now. Go." There was clear disappointment on his face as he took the rolled up bag from Lori and headed to the R.V. I finished with the car then put the hood down as Lori addressed me.

"What was that?" She asked.

"What was what?" I asked like I didn't know what she was talking about.

"The way you blew him off just now, you crushed him."

I was putting opened the front door on the driver's side as she finally looked at me, I didn't say anything to her.

"I don't believe you; you're giving me the cold shoulder?" She asked. Lori was unbelievable the girl couldn't make up her mind if her life depended on it. She wanted me gone well I was leaving, but she wanted me to stay as well. Right then I wasn't in the mood with her yo-yoing back and forth, my muscles were hurting and I figured it was time I split.

"Isn't that what you want? Aren't you the one who said stay the hell away from him _and_ you?" I asked her.

"You forget what happened at the C.D.C.? Your little meltdown in the rec room slip your mind?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips. "When you tried—"

"When I tried to what?" I interrupted as I walked up to her. "What do you think that was?"

"I think it is pretty plain what that was."

"A mistake, one that I admit to. I have a few mistakes under my belt, Lori. So do you." I turned and walked back to the car.

"No debate there. But Shane, we need to stop this."

"Why do you think I'm prepping my new ride? I'm leaving." I placed my arm on the car door with wrench in hand, my other hand on the roof as I looked at her.

"Leaving?" She sounded shocked, surprised, maybe a little devastated.

"As in gone for good. Gonna quietly slip away first change I get." I sat in the driver's seat and turned the engine on. The car came to life along with the radio.

_"The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately."_ I got out of the car as it continued. "_This is a civil emergency—"_

Glenn, Dale and Andrea came up to us then as they heard it. "Is that a local signal?" Glenn asked.

"It's got to be within fifty miles of here." Dale said.

_"Avoid anyone infected at all costs. Remain calm. Help is on the way. The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil De—"_ I reached in and shut it off as it started to repeat itself.

"Asshole." I muttered. I sighed before hitting the roof and telling the others. "Okay, let's get back to work." As they walked off I went around to the trunk grabbing a tan suitcase as I went, I opened the trunk and stuffed the case inside, then slammed the trunk shut.

* * *

Lame excuse

I walked up to Carol where she'd been standing most of the day waiting for Daryl and Rick to get back. The sun was setting so the scavenging was coming to an end for the day, we'd found water, food, clothes some toys that Carl and Sophia could play with, when they brought Sophia back that is. I was hopeful, Daryl was the best tracker I knew, okay he was the only tracker any of us knew, he'd bring her back.

She looked at me as I put my hand on her back comfortingly. "It's late, gonna be dark soon."

"They'll find her." I told her as I looked out at the woods. She nodded; I turned and headed to where Dale was still fiddling with his engine, I needed to discuss a problem. I had gone looking for my pistol where I'd left it a little while ago, and it was gone, along with the bag of guns.

I stopped next to Dale; Glenn had been standing behind Dale in case he needed help. "Where's my gun?" I asked, he looked at me then back at the engine. "You have no right to take it." I told him as Glenn walked away from this conversation.

"You don't need that just now, do you?" He asked me.

"My father gave it to me, it's mine."

"I can hold onto it for you."

"Or you can give it back to me."

Shane walked up to us then as he noticed our discussion. "Everything cool?"

"No, I want my gun back."

"I don't think it's a good idea right now." Dale told him.

"Why not?" Shane asked him.

Dale turned and faced Shane as he explained. "I'm not comfortable with it." I scoffed at that as I shook my head.

"The truth is, less guns we have floating around camp the better." I couldn't believe he was agreeing with Dale.

"You turning over your weapon?" I asked irritated.

He chuckled as he replied. "No. But I'm trained in its use. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training. But until that time I think its best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."

I scoffed again at that lame excuse. "Uh-huh." I said as I licked my lips and turned away walking back to Carol.

I heard Shane ask. "Mind telling me what that's about?" He never got an answer as Glenn said.

"Oh God, they're back." He set a plastic container that had food in it on the pavement with a clunk before rushing over with the others.

* * *

Decent

As I walked away from Carol and the rest of the group between the cars that covered the road, I kept thinking and repeating the day, things I could've done differently but didn't, it was a never ending cycle. My thoughts kept going back to the fact that they were doubting me, my ability to care for this group. Sophia was just one more mistake; I failed so many people in such a short amount of time that I was starting to lose faith in myself.

Sophia was just the beginning of my decent into self-doubt and insanity, losing the man I was, the harder the choices became the further I got from him, the man before the coma, the man before we lost Merle, Amy, Jim, Jacqui _and_ Sophia. I didn't sleep most of the night, and the sleep I did get was restless. The only good thing at that point was my wife and son, and the trust I was building between myself and Daryl, who'd end up be the most loyal of them all.

* * *

Worried About Sophia

Shane took the rear as we headed into the woods back to the creek to search for Sophia. Me and Mom were just ahead of him when I stopped and waited for him.

"Shane, look. Dad said I could carry it and mom said as long as I was—" I was trying to show him the knife they'd given me, but he seemed angry at me.

"Keep it down, we're looking for Sophia." He told me gruffly. "We need to focus on the task." He turned to look behind us, make sure no walkers were around. I hung my head as mom stopped and put her hand on my back as Shane fell back some to watch our backs better I guess.

"Got to keep up." She told me. "You okay?" She asked as she dropped her hand back at her side

"I think Shane's mad at me. Did I do something wrong?" I asked looking at her.

"No. No, honey, I promise you." She looked at Shane who was facing front again. "He's just—he's worried about Sophia, that's all. Come on." She placed her hand on my back and guided me closer to the group with Shane trailing behind.

* * *

Needs-Of-The-Many

Dale was on top of the R.V. keeping watch, I had stayed behind to help and with my arm I didn't want to risk attracting any more walkers. A blue rag had been folded up and strapped over my wound; it had stopped the bleeding so I wasn't worried about that any more.

I walked back after grabbing a bottle of water and saw him up there looking through his binoculars. "Ain't you supposed to be fixing that radiator?" I asked him. "What if they come back with Sophia and Rick wants to move on right away?" I took a sip.

"I had it fixed yesterday." Dale explained.

"What? What was all that rubbing and sanding for then? That just bull shit?" I asked confused.

"Yeah, that's one word. Another word would be pantomime—just for show." He looked down at me as he continued. "No one else needs to know that."

"Pantomime." I mumbled not getting it.

"If the others know we're mobile, they'll want to mobilize and move on."

"So you don't think they're gonna find Sophia, that it?"

He shook his head as he said. "I'm just guarding against the worst. Sooner or later, if she's not found, people will start doing math. I want to hold off the needs-of-the-many-versus-the-needs-of-the-few arguments as long as I can."

After he said that I got it. "That is one tricky hose, huh?"

"Very." He smiled at me as I played along. He was right, that's one argument no one should ever have to be involved in.

* * *

Loses You

After Glenn turned off the ringing most went back inside the church with Carol, except for Lori, Andrea and myself. Andrea walked to where the bell had been ringing and sat down.

Lori spoke up once Rick and the others were out of ear shot, at least she thought they were, she asked. "Are you really leaving?"

"Don't you think it's best for all of us?" I asked her.

"I think it is, what made you decide?"

"Gotta back away, just trying to be the good guy here, Lori, even if you don't see it, none of this was intended. I hope you know that." I looked at her, I never wanted to hurt her or Carl, the anger I felt towards the man I had once called brother. I knew that it would just get worse if I stayed.

She didn't speak so I did. "Well, don't matter as long as I said it."

She walked up to me rather angry. "You're just gonna disappear? You're not even gonna tell Rick?" Man, Rick had blinders on not to see the tension between his best friend and wife.

"He'd only try to stop me, no, that's on you. You tell him what you want, or tell him nothing at all. You're his wife." I told her.

"And Carl? We dragged him into this."

"I love Carl."

"He thinks you hate him."

"I'm trying to put some distance, I'm trying to make this easier." I explained. "This ain't easy on any of us, least of all me. I'm the one who loses you." She turned then and walked up the steps into the church. I watched her go then turned and saw Andrea standing at the edge of the building watching us. I figured she probably heard every word, the look on her face said it all. I walked away.

* * *

Think It Over

I followed him as he walked away from me. "I'm coming with you." I told him.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"I'm not stupid, and I'm certainly not deaf. Look, I don't know the story."

"There is no story."

"Fine, I don't care. Don't confuse me with someone who does." I grabbed his arm to get him to stop. "Look, all I care about is getting out of here, as far away as I can." I got in front of him and faced him as he stopped and looked at me. "Like you."

"We're gonna sail off into the sunset together? We gonna hold hands?"

"I'm not asking you to go steady, Shane, I'm asking for a ride, a chance to start over. Somewhere else." He stared at me, I continued. "You observe this group lately? I have. I see two people who don't belong; we're the odd men out. Between the two of us we make a great third wheel."

"So what? Say we do, we just run off. What's in it for me except for the extra ass I got to cover?"

"The chance to do something for someone else."

"Yeah."

"And a door that swings both ways. Put a gun in my hand, I'll cover your ass too." As he scoffed I saw Rick a little ways off walking, the rest of the group was starting to sit or stand near a shaded tree, Daryl was watching us for a few seconds.

"Think it over." I told him before walking over to the group, he headed over to Rick.

* * *

Zombiefied

I held my doll close to me when I ran from the walkers, I kept it close when Rick told me to hide in the burrow at the creek, I was holding it as I got out of the burrow and headed the way he'd told me, keeping the sun to my left shoulder. I climbed out of the creek bed and ran for the highway and my mother, I stopped as I saw something, it rustled leaves I turned and went a different direction. My heart was pounding as I realized after a while, I wasn't sure how long I'd been running, but I knew I was lost.

I turned only for a walker to grab me and bit my left shoulder, I screamed and cried as I pulled, trying to get free. The pain was something I'd never felt before as blood ran down my arm making it easier for me to get loose and I ran, that's when I dropped my doll it the creek I'd found myself away from the where I'd started.

As the sun set I sat near some bushes, blood still flowing as I felt so sleepy, I closed my eyes to sleep for the night my mind suddenly went blank as I stopped breathing.

**Several hours later after the sun had reason there was a noise, like a branch breaking and Sophia's eyes snapped open, they were no longer her eyes but that of a walker. She slowly stood as the only thought that went through her mind was the need to feed. She stumbled and walked until she saw a man, he was a big man, a bit on the overweight side but she didn't care. She didn't care that his name was Otis or that he was searching the woods for walkers just like her.**

**In his hands was a catch pole. He got the noose of it around her neck and used the pole to guide her safely to a barn where he opened the doors and pushed her in with lots of other walkers. She tried to get at him the whole time, and then he closed the barn on her before he went out hunting for venison.**

**He never told anyone, not the owner, the boy, or the women, he just grabbed his riffle and headed out. He had no idea that it would be the biggest and last mistake he ever made.**


	2. Missing Scenes for Bloodletting

A/N: I thank all who have reviewed, they have really been great and are keeping me going, so please enjoy these missing scenes to the recent Season Two chapter, please Read & Review.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters I'm just having fun with them

POVs as written: Daryl, Lori, T-Dog, Daryl, Glenn, Daryl, Shane

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Bad Language

M.S for Episode 2

Projecting

For a while we walked, nothing but silence between us, as I led them back into the woods, leaving Rick, Shane and Carl at the church. It hadn't felt right, but I went along with it, I went along with a lot of things until finally I had enough and started to make some decisions myself for the group. That didn't happen for a while though.

I'd given Glenn his knife back as I didn't need it but he did. Carol finally asked as she sat on a fallen tree that's probably been decaying for years. "So this is it? This the whole plan?"

I leaned against a tree bow in hand as I said. "I guess the plan's to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups."

"Carrying knives and pointy sticks." Andrea said as she looked at Lori who opened her pack. "I see you have a gun." Lori looked at her.

"Why, you want it? Here, take it." She held out the six shooter I'd given her before we headed out. "I'm sick of the looks you're giving me." Glenn looked away as Andrea took the gun from her. "All of you." Lori mumbled as she sat down and pulled a bottle of water out of her pack.

Andrea needed to stop relying on guns, all they'll do is attract more walkers and get her killed, but it's all she could think about. Like my dad always said, a woman with a gun is nothing but trouble. My dad was a sexiest, raciest bastard, but he was my dad and I loved him all the same.

Lori looked at Carol as she spoke. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through, and I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick; it is in your face every time you look at him." Carol looked at her as she continued. "When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second, I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make, or that anybody _could_ have _done_ it any differently." Carol looked away then. Lori had been right, back then I probably wouldn't have gone after her, now a days I think a little differently.

"Anybody?" She asked looking at the rest of us, Glenn absentmindedly put his hand on his stomach. "Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you." She uncapped her bottle of water and chugged it in anger. Some of what she was saying made me thing she was a bit blind to our attitudes about Rick, and Glenn would say she was projecting her own emotions on to us when it was her baggage she was caring. He learned that from some psych class he'd taken before his father cut him off.

No one said anything as she capped the water and put it back in her pack. Andrea handed the gun back to her, Lori took it.

"We should keep moving." Andrea said. Lori got up and placed her pack back over her shoulder, Carol followed suit. I watched them pass before I followed, there was nothing more to say.

* * *

Worrying

It wasn't ten minutes later when we all suddenly stopped as a gunshot sounded in the distance. "What was that?" Glenn asked.

"A gunshot, Chinamen." Daryl told him.

"Let's go back, they may need help." I suggested.

"Lori don't worry about it, they're probably perfectly safe." Andrea told me. But I couldn't help it, I worried.

"Come on, let's keep moving." Daryl said as he took the lead.

For a while we walked in silence, I stopped though and turned back, I couldn't shake the worry that something horrible had happened, call it mother's intuition I just knew something wasn't right, I couldn't explain it though.

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asked as the rest looked at me.

"It was a gunshot." I told 'em.

"We all heard it." Daryl said.

I turned back to look at them. "Why one? Why just one gunshot?" I asked; it had been going around in my head.

"They probably took down a walker." Daryl said.

"Please don't patronize me. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker, or Shane. They'd do it quietly." I turned away, I wanted to head back and check on them, make sure they were safe, my gut was telling me that something was wrong.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol asked Daryl.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyway. Can't run around these woods chasing echoes." Daryl told us.

"So what do we do?" I asked him.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the R.V." Andrea said. I just didn't feel right about it as I walked back with Glenn and Daryl. Carol stayed put with Andrea.

We stopped again as Andrea spoke to Carol. "I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel."

"I suppose you do. Thank you." Carol said. Carol looked at us as she continued. "The thought of her, out here by herself…It's the not knowing that's killing me. I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy." Carol realized what she said. "Oh God." Carol grabbed Andrea's hands. "That's the worst thing I ever said."

Andrea shook her head as she told her. "We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth."

Daryl walked up to them as he stated. "I'll tell you what it's worth—not a damn thing. It's a waste of time all this hoping and praying. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, she's gonna be just fine. Am I the only one zen around here? Good Lord." Daryl walked away, I never knew that locating Sophia was a mission for him; he had something to prove, to himself. It made me smile though, the way he was so sure we'd find her.

They continued on, I looked back one last time before taking the rear. I was still worrying though, about something, what I just didn't know…yet.

* * *

Long Time

As the day wore on and the group had yet to return I walked out of the R.V. where I'd been staying the last couple of hours resting. I saw Dale working on taking some parts out of an engine, I walked up to him as he was using a ratchet to remove one of the parts, don't ask me what it was, I don't know that much about engines. Just that they're supposed to work when you turn the key.

He stood up and started wiping the piece he'd just removed as he said. "We are gonna have quite a collection of spare parts, I tell ya."

"Shouldn't they be back by now?" I asked.

He looked at the sky before he answered. "It's still light. Let's not worry just yet." Dale looked at me as I was moving next to him. "How are you feeling?" He asked. I didn't answer, just nodded and turned my back. I heard him grab his riffle where he'd set it leaning against the trunk of a neighboring car.

"T-Dog?" He called, I looked at him. He walked up to me. "I asked you how you were feeling just now. Please don't blow that question off."

I knew he was worried, so I answered him. "It really, really hurts. It's throbbing something awful"

"Oh, let me see…" He slung his riffle on his back and then gently cradled my arm with his left hand while his right slowly lifted the bandage to see my wound, I knew it didn't look good from when I changed the bandage a little while ago; there was already fresh blood on the white cloth. He started to touch my wound, I screamed in pain.

"Ah! Don't—don't touch it!"

He put the bandage down as he said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

As I leaned against a car next to Daryl's bike the pain started to recede as he explained. "Listen, your veins are very discolored. You got a hell of an infection there. You could die from blood poisoning."

"Oh man. Wouldn't that be the way? World gone to hell, the dead risen up to eat the living and Theodore Douglas gets done in by a cut on his arm." I cracked up laughing.

He put his hands on my shoulders. "Yeah, that would be—that would be stupid. I've been saying since yesterday, we've got to get you some antibiotics. We've been ransacking these cars the whole time, I can't believe that we have not found some ampicillin or something in the whole place can you?"

"Seems like there would be." I agreed as I sobered up.

"That's what I think. Well, we, uh—we haven't been thorough enough. So let's look some more." Dale and I headed out to try and find some sort of antibiotics to fix my arm. Last thing I wanted to do…was die.

I walked over to a car and opened the door; I started riffling through the glove compartment. I found a bottle of ibuprofen tossed those on the seat and reached in again pulling out a box of cigarettes and a lighter. If I was going to die I guess it didn't matter if I smoked, I pulled a cigarette out and placed it between my teeth.

I was just backing out of the car when I turned my head and looked in the backseat a bloody car seat, I started to shake, I wasn't sure if it was anger or sadness, I think a little of both. I left slamming the door behind me.

I walked back to the R.V. after that and sat down on a blue plastic crate while Dale searched around. I lit up the cigarette and started smoking, I was on my second one when Dale walked up to me with a plastic bag of stuff, a knife of some kind couldn't tell and a light tan colored guitar, the kind country singers used.

"Found some more batteries, a bottle of very trendy pink water, an excellent new machete, and I thought Glenn might like this guitar." He said as he set the stuff down next to me, leaning the guitar against the R.V. he kept hold of the machete as he sat down. "Maybe he plays." He looked at me as I took another puff of my cigarette and gave me the bad news. "No drugs, you?"

"Yeah, ibuprofen, and these." I said as I showed him the cigarette between my fingers. "What are we doing?" I asked after a few seconds.

"Pulling supplies together."

"No, I mean…what are we doing? People off in the woods, they's looking for that poor girl and we're here. Why?" I asked him, he didn't answer me so I did. "'Cause they think we're the weakest. What are you, seventy?" I asked taking a puff.

"Sixty-four."

"Uh-huh. And I'm the one black guy. Realize how precarious that makes my situation?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about two good old-boy cowboy sheriffs and a redneck whose brother cut off his own hand because I dropped a key. Who in that scenario you think is gonna be first to get lynched?"

"You can't be serious." I leaned away from him, he continued. "Am I—hey, am I missing something? Those cowboys have done all right by us. And if I'm not mistaken, that redneck went out of his way to save your ass—more than once." Dale reminded me.

"And don't forget about Andrea, kills her own sister." I said jogging _his_ memory.

"She was already dead."

"Then wants to blow herself up. Yeah, she's all there."

"She's having a tough time, what is wrong with you?"

"The whole world is having a tough time. Damn, man, open your eyes." I started yelling then. "Look where we are—stuck in this mess here!"

"Shh!" Dale said trying to calm me down. A headache that had been bugging me grew to new heights of pain.

"Let's—let's just go." I closed my eyes and put my hand to my head. I lifted my head and pounded it a couple of times on the R.V. as I said. "Let's just take the R.V." I was tired of it and wanted to leave.

"You've gone off the deep end." Dale said as he stood up.

"I mean it, man. Why are we on the side of this road like live bait? Let's go, you and me. Let's go before they get back." I suggested as I looked up at him. He reached his hand out and placed it to my forehead.

"Oh my God, you're burning up. Give me that." He ordered of the bottle of pills in my other hand. I held it out for him, he was right I was hot and hurting and sick, I wasn't thinking straight at the time, I can't remember what I was thinking or why I said what I did, I just knew I had to leave.

He shook out a couple of pills and held out his hand. "Here, take these." I popped them in my mouth. "We've got to knock that fever down." He unscrewed a cap and handed me a bottle of that pinkish water, I think it said vitamin water on the label. I washed the pills down with it.

"Where the hell are they?" Dale muttered; I knew he was worried about me, and probably the group, they've been gone a really long time.

* * *

The Beginning of Jealousy

We'd been walking and searching for a while now, no sign of her, no sign of any walkers either. We slowed to a stop as I said. "We'll lose the light before too long. I think we should call it." It was starting to get late I was tired, I was sure Glenn was tired and the way he held himself probably a little sore.

"Let's head back." Lori suggested.

"We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol asked as she looked at Lori.

"Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori reassured him.

I whistled then and started to lead them back to the highway were Dale and T-Dog were, I hoped Ricks group had better luck then us.

We walked for a long while before Andrea asked. "How much farther?"

"Not much, maybe a hundred yards. As the crow flies." I told her.

"Too bad we're not crows." Andrea complained. Glenn pulled out a bottle of water and took a sip.

"Hey." I said as I held out my hand to him. He gave me the bottle and I took a quick drink then handed it back. We've shared spit and other bodily fluids so it didn't bother me that we started drinking after each other then.

Andrea had walked away from us, I could hear her mutter as she complained some more. "As the crow flies my ass." Suddenly I heard a groan that could only come from a walker and Andrea's screams.

"Andrea?" Lori called.

I ran to her the others followed, she was screaming as I saw her fall we were almost to her, Glenn sped up to get to her faster as the walker grabbed her legs while she kicked out at him. Then suddenly a woman on a horse rode up with a bat, she swung hitting the walker in the head making to fall off of Andrea as she slowed to a stop.

Andrea was sitting up as the woman asked. "Lori, Lori Grimes?"

We stopped to a walk as Lori announced herself. "I'm Lori."

"Rick sent me; you've got to come now." She explained.

"What?" Lori asked confused.

"There's been an accident, Carl's been shot. He's still alive but you've got to come now." Lori was frozen for a few seconds as she processed this new information. "Rick needs you just come." She told Lori forcefully.

Thing is I didn't trust that woman from the beginning and the more I got to know her the less I trusted, for a while at least. Lori took off her pack and headed to the woman's horse. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, we don't know this girl. You can't get on that horse." I told her, Lori ignored me.

"Rick said you had others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" She asked as she was looking at Glenn.

"Uh-huh." Glenn said. I looked at him, I didn't like the way he looked at her, I've never been in a long term relationship so I'd never been jealous before, but that's what I felt right then.

"Backtrack to Fairburn road, two miles down is our farm. You'll see the mail box the name is Greene. Hyah!" She flicked the rains and the horse started off with Lori on the back holding the woman around the waist. In those few moments I suddenly hated that woman, what happens over the next few days doesn't make it any better, but over time we came to an understanding. I still don't fully trust her, especially when she's around Glenn, but I trust Glenn and that's all I need to do.

Her hit hadn't killed the walker as it moaned and sat up. I pointed my bow at it without looking and said. "Shut up." Then shot it through the head as I walked off. I wasn't in the mood; in fact my jealousy was making me pissed.

* * *

Upset

We got back to the highway; the sun was starting to set giving off a pinkish hue. I was running ahead of the group several paces as I reached the guardrail Dale asked. "What happened?"

"Carl's been shot." I told him quickly.

"Shot? What do you mean shot?" Dale asked as he walked up to the guardrail, I walked over it as the others arrived.

"I don't know Dale I wasn't there. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori." I explained then looked at Daryl as he was walking over the rail with the girls next to him.

"You let her?" Dale asked him.

"Climb down out of my asshole, man. Rick sent her; she knew Lori's name and Carl's." Daryl told him as he walked away, Dale watched him go.

"I heard screams was that you?" Dale asked as Andrea walked by.

"She got attacked by a walker. It was a close call." I explained as Carol sat on the guardrail and took off her pack.

"Andrea, are you all right?" She just looked at him, didn't answer but the look in her eyes said it all, she was still upset at him, she opened the door to the R.V. and walked inside slamming it behind her.

* * *

More than Just Sex

"I won't do it, we can't just leave." Carol said; we'd been having this discussion for the last half hour. I knew we needed to get to the farm and see that Carl was alright and what Rick wanted us to do. But I could see where Carol was coming from, not wanting to leave because of Sophia, her daughter.

"Carol, the group is split, we're scattered and weak." Dale told her.

"What if she comes back and we're not here? It could happen." Carol said.

"If Sophia found her way back and we were gone, that would be awful." Andrea agreed.

So I suggested a solution. "Okay. We got to plan for this. I say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. Give us a chance to rig a big sign, leave her some supplies. I'll hold here tonight, stay with the R.V."

"If the R.V. is staying, I am too." Dale said.

"Thank you, thank you both." Carol said.

I looked at Andrea as she said. "I'm in."

"Well…if you're all staying then I'm—"

"Not you Glenn, you're going." Dale told him. "Take Carol's Cherokee."

"I don't want to leave." He looked at me; I could see it in his eyes. Truth was I didn't want him to go to that farm either, where I wasn't, where that woman was. That's right, I was jealous, still am at times I won't deny it. "Why is it always me?" Glenn asked Dale.

"You have to find this farm, reconnect with our people, see what's going on and get some place with shelter for you and that baby, but most important, you have to get T-Dog there. This is not an option." We all glanced at where T-Dog was leaning against the back of the R.V. with a blanket wrapped around him, Dale continued. "That cut has gone from bad to worse. He has a very serious blood infection. Get him to that farm; see if they have any antibiotics."

I looked at my bike, Merle's old bike; I walked over to it as Dale kept explaining things. "Because if not, T-Dog will die no joke." I took off one of the rags that had been left their by Dale, then lifted the flap of the bag that's always holding Merle's stash and pulled a bag of all kinds of pills, I walked back over to the group as they looked at me.

"Keep your oily rags off my brother's motorcycle." I told Dale as I tossed him the rag. I placed the plastic Ziploc bag on the hood of Carol's Cherokee and started looking through them as I said. "Why'd you wait till now to say anything? Got my brother's stash." I informed them; Dale walked up to me surprise written all over his face.

"Crystal, X, don't need that. Some kick ass painkillers." I tossed those to Glenn who caught it; I didn't even see his hand move. I looked in it again and pulled out a bottle. "Oxycycline." I tossed it to Dale. "Not the generic stuff neither, its first class. Merle got the clap on occasion." I walked away, Glenn followed.

"Daryl, I don't want to go and leave you." I turned to him.

"Glenn, Dale's right, you need to be somewhere safe, in a house, and you need to eat something better than these power bars and junk. Go and I'll see you tomorrow." I told him, he grabbed my hand and pulled me close.

"Promise." Glenn asked.

"Promise." One thing about me, I never make a promise unless I know for sure I can keep it, on this occasion I had no intention of breaking it. We kissed for a long time but neither of us was in the mood to do anything more. I helped him pack up his stuff, the diaper bag included, minus one ABC book, which I took out when Glenn's back was turned. T-Dog had the pills and was situated in the car, as Glenn got in behind the wheel I knelt down next to him.

"I love you, see you tomorrow." Glenn told me.

"You got it Chinamen." I kissed him once more, and then closed the door as we watched 'em drive off. I had stopped hiding my feelings and our relationship once everyone knew, so I didn't have a problem with kissing him in front of the others like I did before. I don't mind admitting that I was the one that had the problem with it, Glenn never wanted to hide, but he just did it for me. That should've been my first clue that he actually liked me for more than just sex.

* * *

High School Blues Part One

We didn't speak the whole drive there; I wasn't in the mood to talk to him, so the silence like they say was golden. I had him park a block away from the high school, and we went on foot. There was a grassy hill that led up to the parking lot in at the back of the building, where the FEMA shelter had set up. There was ambulances and other vehicles scattered on the lot and the grass. We each had our packs on to put the things in when we grabbed 'em, I was caring my shotgun, Otis had his riffle as we snuck up the hill and hid behind one of the police cars.

"Okay, let's take a look." I told him, then we stood up and there in the parking lot was dozens of walkers. They were moaning and snarling and just milling about, they hadn't noticed us yet, key word there is _yet._ And we didn't want them to notice us as we crouched back down.

Otis asked. "You see that big mobile medical trailer across the way?" I took another peak and yep there it was, but between us and it were the walkers.

I leaned back against the car and looked at him. "That's where we got to get to?" I asked.

"Yeah." He said. I sighed, this was turning into a very long day and I had a feeling it was about to get longer. Luckily for me I've been a cop for years so I knew that in one of these trunks we were hiding behind should be something we can use to distract the walkers.

"We need to distract them; one of these cruisers should have something in the trunk, if we're lucky." I told him as the sun was going down.

We went around to one of the police cruisers we were hiding behind, I headed to the driver's side door while Otis kept watch at the trunk. I set my gun against the back door and slowly, very slowly pulled at the handle and the door clicked softly as it opened, it squeaked faintly as I opened it the rest of the way.

I got into the driver's seat and found the trunk release, I pressed it and the trunk popped open. I slid back out keeping low to the ground as I shimmied my way to the trunk, I reached in and sure enough I found a few flares, they would be the perfect distraction, I chuckled, it was a good moment for us.

Otis got next to one cruiser while I stayed behind the cruiser we'd been using for cover. Once Otis was ready we each snapped the flare top and threw them out into the parking lot in the direction away from the medical trailer, we did that two or three times.

It worked, the walkers started heading toward the light and the hissing of the fire from the flares, as they turned their backs and walked off, I ran out first to a van near the trailer, Otis followed a second later, going around toward the door.

As he got to the door I ran around the rail to the stairs that led to the door, once inside I shut it behind us. Otis passed me a flashlight as he turned on one for himself.

There were shelves with containers set on them that held plastic bags and tanks of oxygen, I pointed to them and asked. "Is this it?"

"Yeah, three, three." Otis told me.

I started putting the small tanks in my pack while my flash light was in my mouth. Otis found the tubes and respirators. Once I had the tanks I walked over to Otis who found a small metal something or other.

"Endotracheal Intubator, baby, for my new respirator."

"Attaboy, come on." I said as I finished packing other supplies we needed. We hefted our packs back on and headed for the door. I had my shotgun in my right hand, my flash light in my mouth and with my free hand I grabbed the door handle and slowly turned it. As the door opened we saw the walkers were back to milling around, they were ignoring the flares that were still burning bright. They were starting to take notice of us.

"Goddamn it." I said as we ran down the stairs. They had blocked the way we came and were headed for us so we kept running straight. I ran to the high school and headed around the side of it and up a walkway with a railing there.

"Come on! Stay with me!" I screamed at Otis as we reached some stairs, we headed up. I ran around and passed the fenced yard, I turned and there was more in front of us. "NO—no, no, no, no!" I kept repeating as I backed away from the walker reaching out to me. It tried to grab me so I gave it a left hook knocking it to the ground then ran through the fenced yard, Otis right behind me.

As we ran between the buildings I yelled. "Come on." But there was more, we turned right and headed to the front doors of the high school as I kept repeating come on.

"In here." I said as I grabbed the door handle and yanked it open, I used all my strength ripping the door off its hinges, I threw it at a few walkers knocking some back, one lost its head. I didn't care as we ran inside.

There was a sliding gate, I grabbed it and pulled it closed, it tried to get stuck and failed as I relied on my strength, I started to feel pain in my arms and shoulders across my back. As the gate closed I grabbed the pin connected to the door jam and hooked it in the hole to keep the walkers from getting in, for now.

Their arms started reaching in trying to get to us and they were pounding on the glass windows next to where the doors had been before I destroyed 'em.

Otis and I leaned against the brick wall across the window and watched as the hands couldn't get at us. Otis took a firm hold of his riffle as I was panting trying to get my breath back.

"Damn it." I said. We were royally screwed, we had to get this stuff back to Hershel to save Carl, on top of that I waited four years to get out of high school, I was not about to die in high school. "Fuck!" I screamed as I banged my head back on the wall behind me making a dent and splintering the bricks as I closed my eyes, trying to figure out the next plan. This was going to be a very long night.


	3. Missing Scenes for Save the Last One

A/N: I thank all who have reviewed, they have really been great and are keeping me going, so please enjoy these missing scenes to the recent Season Two chapter, please Read & Review.

Disclaimer: I don't own the show or characters I'm just having fun with them

POVs as written: Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Dale, Shane, Glenn, Shane

Warnings: Violence, Blood and Gore, Bad Language

M.S for Episode 3

Failed Again

Shortly after Glenn and T-Dog left the sun had gone and we went into the R.V. for the night. Carol took the bed in the back while Andrea sat at the table and started reloading everyone's clips mine included, I laid on a sleeping bag that I had placed on the floor, next to the bathroom, I kept my hands behind my head as I was thinking. The ABC book I'd snuck out was hidden in the sleeping bag; I didn't want anyone to see it.

I could hear Andrea loading the clips, the ammo clinking into place; then she'd pick up another one and repeat the motion. Carol on the other hand was crying. I lifted a little in a crunch like style as I looked at her curled up with a blanket as she sobbed. I lied back down, as I lifted my head to look at Andrea.

Finally I got tired of it, and I knew I wasn't going to sleep any time soon, that was the first time I'd been without Glenn since I found out, and I didn't like it. I stood up and walked to the table, on the seat across from Andrea is where I'd rested my bow. I picked it up and swung it on my back.

"I need my clip now." I told Andrea. She handed me my recently reloaded clip as I placed it in my gun. "I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl." I told her.

I looked at Carol who took notice of that as she looked at me while wiping her tears. I nodded at her before I headed out with a flashlight letting the door shut behind me.

I didn't need the flashlight but if Sophia was out there she might see it and realize that it's us. I turned around when I heard the door open and shut again. Andrea had followed me.

"I'm coming too." She said.

I looked up at Dale who'd been keeping watch on top of the R.V. "I'm going for a walk; shine some light in the forest. If she's out there give her something to look at." I informed him.

"You think that's a good idea right now?" Dale asked, worry in his voice.

"Dale." Andrea said as she passed me, I guessed she was still pissed at him; hey it was none of my business. I turned and followed.

We were silent for a long while after we made it to the woods, I was now walking next to her instead of behind, our flashlights were lighting the path so Andrea wouldn't stumble or trip, possibly that Sophia would see it, and this search could be over. I wasn't going to stop looking till I'd found her, that's for sure. Andrea finally broke the silence as she asked. "You really think we're gonna find Sophia?" As if she'd been reading my thoughts.

I looked at her, my flashlight pointed straight ahead as I took in her expression. "You got that look on your face same as everybody else." I told her as I looked forward before continuing. "What the hell's wrong with you people? We just started looking."

"Well, do you?"

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet, its Georgia. She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere." I told her. "People get lost and they survive. It happened all the time."

"She's only twelve."

I glanced at her before I explained a little bit about my past. "Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost. Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak."

"They found you?" She asked as she looked at me.

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in Juvie, didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though, went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful." Andrea snorted at that, I looked at her as she was trying not to laugh.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, that is a terrible story." She failed as she cracked up. I started laughing then to, 'cause looking back it was kind of funny.

"Only difference is Sophia's got people looking for her. I call that an advantage."

We stopped talking then for a long while as we walked, just the silence between us, I was thankful for that, it made concentrating easier so we didn't get attacked. My thoughts did keep circling around Glenn, I hopped him and T-Dog made it safely to the farm, I hoped that slut was keeping her hands to herself and off of what was mine. Okay, so I got a little possessive at the time, I won't say I'm completely cured, but I did get better at letting go.

I was brought out of my thoughts as there was the sound of rustling to the right of us. I aimed my bow as I looked out into what was supposed to be darkness, but of course me, it wasn't. Andrea stayed next to me as I headed down the small incline to where the rustling had come from.

We arrived at what had once been a camp site; there was a tent, and chairs and a table with a lantern on it that wasn't on. There was more rustling only this time it was above us. The tree branches were moving, but since there was a lack of wind I had my suspicions as to what it was.

As we walked passed what had been a camp fire pit a walker came into view. I shined the light on him for Andrea as I said. "What the hell?"

Hanging from one of the branches was a walker; his legs were all chewed and gnawed on, leaving some muscle but mostly bone. He was trying to reach out, to grab us, but with the noose around his neck, couldn't, so he did nothing more than flail around. Andrea shined her light in his face as I took notice of something attached to the tree.

I pointed to a piece of paper stabbed into the trunk. Andrea looked at me, I sadly shook my head, she must've gotten the hint as she walked up to it while I shined the light on it for her; he read aloud. "Got bit, fever hit, world gone to shit, might as well quit." She backed away as I looked up at the dead guy again.

"Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait. And a mess." Andrea groaned as she bent over. I glanced at her as I asked. "You all right?"

"Trying not to puke."

"Go ahead if you gotta." I'd gotten used to it from Glenn, and seeing someone get sick never really bothered me much, my stomach toughed up with all the kills I'd skinned and gutted over the years.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just talk about something else for a minute. How'd you learn to shoot?"

"Gotta eat. That's one thing these walkers and us have in common." I told her as I kept looking at the guy who wanted to eat me right then. "I guess it's the closest he's been to food since he turned. Look at him, hanging up there like a big piñata." I pointed to his legs as I continued. "The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs." That's when Andrea lost it and vomited.

I looked at her as she spit a couple of times and stood back up. "I thought we were changing the subject."

"Call that payback for laughing about my itchy ass."

"There wasn't a lot that came up."

"Huh. Let's head back." I said as I turned the way we'd come.

"Aren't you gonna…" I looked at her, then the swinging walker.

"No. He ain't hurting nobody. Ain't gonna waste an arrow either. He made his choice, opted out. Let him hang." I have no sympathy for someone who just quits, gives up and takes his own life. In my opinion that makes him a coward, along with Jenner and Jacqui and anyone else who takes their own life instead of trying to fight to survive. Not that I don't understand his reason, I just don't respect it.

Andrea walked up closer to him keeping her light on him. She felt sorry for him; I could see it in her stance, in her eyes a minute ago. "You want to live now or not?" I asked. She turned to me. "It's just a question."

"An answer for an arrow, fair?" I agreed to that with a quick nod. "I don't know if I want to live or if I have to or if it's just a habit."

"Not much of an answer." I told her, but a deal was a deal. I aimed my bow and fired shooting an arrow between his eyes. He finally shut up and hung there limp, getting the peace he wanted. "Waste of an arrow." I turned and headed back. Andrea followed a few seconds later.

We walked for a while longer then decided to turn back, we hadn't found Sophia, and I hated having to tell Carol that we failed again.

Do We Ring the Bell?

The drive had been silent the whole way there, T-Dog just stayed wrapped up in his blanket as I drove. I tried not to think about Daryl and the rest as I made the turn at the Greene's mailbox, I got out of the car to open the gate before driving in, and where I got out again and closed the gate making sure it was latched. Then drove down the dirt road until we saw a house. I pulled up next to a tree and parked as T-Dog got out of the car. I shut the engine off then followed, I left the diaper bag in the car it'd be safe and I could come back and get it, as long as I knew where it was.

I had noticed that T-Dog started shivering half way here and he still hadn't stopped. I put my pack on my back then grabbed the shotgun we'd been given as T-Dog stopped in front of the car and waited for me, I then slammed the door and together we headed for the front porch. It looked like a pleasant two story place as we saw lights inside, which was a nice sign of life.

We stopped as we got to the steps to the porch unsure of what to do. I asked as I looked at T-Dog. "So do we ring the bell? I mean it looks like people live here." I looked back at the lit up porch and house.

"We're past this kind of stuff, aren't we?" T-Dog asked as we headed up the steps. "Having to be considerate."

"Did you close the gate up the road when you drove in?" That woman from earlier asked where she was sitting on a chair her knees drawn up. We hadn't even seen her till she spoke as she had been sitting in the shadows.

"Uh, hi. Yes, we closed it. Did the latch and everything." She moved her feet to the floor and leaned forward. "Hello, nice to see you again. We, uh, met before briefly." I was nervous, I hadn't had much experience with the opposite sex, and so talking to women even now was difficult. I won't say she wasn't attractive, 'cause she was, and me, I'm bisexual. So, very much into women as well as men, of course I hadn't told Daryl that, and I didn't plan on it, because while she was attractive I just couldn't see myself with anyone other than Daryl.

"Look, we came to help. There anything we can do?" T-Dog asked. She stood and walked up to us as she took notice of T-Dog's bandaged wound. "It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty bad though." T-Dog explained.

"We'll have it looked at, I'll tell them you're here." She said.

"We have some painkillers and antibiotics." I informed her as I pulled out the pills Daryl had given me. "I already gave him some, if Carl needs any."

"Come on inside, I'll make you something to eat." She said as she opened the screen door and led us into the house. She took us to a room close by where Carl and his family were.

First Time

"You got here right in time. This couldn't go untreated much longer." Patricia said as she was nearly finished sowing up the young black man's arm. I'd led them to the dining area and got them both something to eat and drink and once they were finished Patricia started working on his cut. Since there was nothing more she could do for that young boy, dad was taking care of him.

I had my hand in his to keep his arm still and on the table, I wish I had Beth's gift to take his pain away, but with her still sleeping from the strain of Carl's all I could do was hold his hand. We'd been talking to him to keep him distracted, Patricia asked. "'Merle Dixon.' Is that your friend with the antibiotics?"

The young Asian leaned against the archway with a mug in his hands as he answered. "No, ma'am, Merle's no longer with us. Daryl gave us those—his brother."

"Not sure I'd call him a friend." The black man T-Dog said before biting down as Patricia was starting to tie off the thread.

"He is today. This Doxycline might have just saved your life. You know what Merle was taking it for?" Patricia asked.

"The clap." Young Asian Glenn said. I looked at him as he explained. "Um, venereal disease. That's what Daryl said."

"I'd say Merle Dixon's clap was the best thing to ever happen to you." Patricia told T-Dog.

"I'm really trying not to think about that." T-Dog said through gritted teeth. Glenn headed outside; T-Dog relaxed once Patricia cut the thread and wrapped his arm in a bandage. I followed him out, the guy intrigued me, and he was cute. He was sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the porch.

He had his hands clasped and his head bowed, so as I leaned against one of the posts I asked. "Are you praying?" He looked at me.

"Why do you sneak up on people so much?"

"You're easy to sneak up on." I told him as I sat on the porch rail.

"I was praying." He said as he looked at me. "I was trying to."

"You religious? You pray a lot?" I wanted to know more about him, everything actually.

"Actually, uh, this was my first try."

"Ever?" He nodded. "Wow. Sorry. I didn't mean to wreck your first time."

"God probably got the gist."

"Praying for what?"

"_My friends. _Looks like they could all use a little help right now." He sighed before continuing. "You think—you think God exists?" He looked at me.

"I always took it on faith. Lately I've wondered. Everything that's happened; there must have been a lot of praying going on. It seems quite a few went unanswered."

"Thanks, this is really helping." There was sarcasm in his voice.

"Sorry, go ahead. _Really._"

"You gonna watch?"

I stood up and walked over to him, as I bent down picking up his empty mug I said. "I'll get you a refill instead." I started to walk away when I stopped and looked at him again. "I know it's not my business, and feel free to believe in God, but the thing is you've got to make it okay somehow no matter what happens." I went back into the house leaving him to his thoughts and his praying. I had no idea that he wasn't just praying for his friends, but for something much more important, his own unborn child.

Forgive Me

I was standing on my R.V. keeping watch, Andrea and Daryl had left a little while ago to look for Sophia. It was dark so they'd taken flashlights, I was pretty sure Daryl no longer needed a flashlight, but he took one anyways, I think it was more for Sophia's benefit then his.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes I'd taken from T-Dog, lifted it up to my noise and smelt them. I hadn't had a cigarette in a really long time, I quite several years ago 'cause my wife asked me to, she wanted me to live as long as I could to be with her. Who'd have thought it'd actually end up being my wife who died first.

I looked at them again debating, when I heard someone climbing the ladder. I dropped them as I turned and saw Carol; she tossed her pack up as I bent down and picked up the cigarettes. I put them back in my shirt pocket before I asked. "Can't sleep?"

"I'm gonna wait for them to come back." I looked out in the darkness as she continued. "You can go down and sleep if you want to." I faced her.

"No, we can keep watch together." I walked a few steps back to where I'd been standing, Carol followed.

"Which way did they go?" I pointed out in the general direction I'd seen them walk off in. Neither of us said another word as we waited for them to return, hopefully with some good news about Sophia.

We were silent for a while; Carol had decided to sit at my left as I continued to stand, keeping watch, worrying about Andrea. It seemed Carol could read my thoughts as she said. "You don't need to worry, she's with Daryl. If something happens he can protect her." I looked down at her as she looked up at me. "You hear what I'm saying?"

"Sorry, all I heard was if something happens." I started to take off my riffle as I asked. "You mind keeping watch?" I tried to hand her the riffle.

"I don't know how to use that."

"I won't be gone long." I told her, I just needed to go find them. They've been gone for too long now and I couldn't stop worrying. "If you see anything, call out. I'm not going far, I'll hear you." I headed to the ladder at the back of the R.V. I place my riffle back on before I climbed down to the street below.

I started walking pass all the abandoned cars to the guardrail where Daryl and Andrea had gone a couple of hours ago. I probably should've brought a flashlight as I stood there looking out into the inky blackness without the perfect vision that Daryl had.

I stood there for several minutes before going back to Carol and the R.V. I climbed the ladder and sat down as we waited for them to get back. It was maybe an hour later when I saw the flashlights and movement from the woods as they came back.

Carol made a small noise of sadness as she grabbed her bag and headed down the ladder. I followed a few seconds later as I saw them get closer. As I reached the ground I saw Carol go inside the R.V. slamming the door behind her. I noticed that Sophia wasn't with them; I figured they hadn't had any luck.

I looked at Daryl who made eye contact as he flipped off his flashlight, then opened the door and went inside.

Andrea was going to follow, I stopped her. "Andrea, wait."

"What do you want, Dale?" Andrea asked impatiently as she faced me.

"To give you this." I pulled her pistol from behind me. "I care about you so I made a choice for you—choices. I know why I did it, but this is not my gun. And the choices that I made for you were not mine to make." I explained, as I held out her pistol. She walked closer and took it from my hand. "But I can still ask, and this is not to make you guilty or put me ahead of you, but I can still ask, please…Don't make me regret this."

She looked at the ground, but as she looked back up at me she said. "I'll take watch." She headed to the back of the R.V.

"So—so do you—do you forgive me for—" I paused as she stopped moving. "Do you forgive me?"

She looked at me as she gave her best answer. "I'm trying." That was that. She headed up to the roof and I went inside the R.V. Daryl was laying on his pallet and Carol was in the back crying. I knew it would take time, I just hoped in the end she would truly forgive me before it was too late and regret never having done so.

High School Blues Part Two

It didn't take long for the glass in the windows to start breaking, and as they came shattering in, Otis and I ran down the halls. With the bags on our backs and guns in our hands we ran, there was nothing else we could do. Dozens of walkers following, and I realized how weak I truly was, I may have super strength but at that very moment it didn't really matter, I turned around and ran backwards as I took in all the walkers behind us.

I spun back to look ahead as I slowed when I saw two big doors locked with a chain and padlock. If I had the time I could break it, with my bare hands, problem was the walkers were almost on top of us and I couldn't spare any ammo, so Otis and I turned and headed down another hall, up some stairs and to a basketball quart in a gymnasium.

There was the bleachers and some wooden platforms pressed against a wall, they were thick enough, so we climbed 'em and stood there with the dead trying to reach up at us. I shined my flashlight around looking for an exit knowing we couldn't stay here all night.

To the left was stairs leading up to a stage of some kind, more bleachers I guessed, but there were windows, and that would be perfect. "Those windows, what's on the other side?" I asked.

"About a twenty-foot drop with nothing to catch you, maybe some bushes, then the athletic field." Otis explained, this gym had been a good run but we'd come to a _dead_ end, possibly literately

"We just need enough time." I told him. "We got to get up there. We got to get 'em open, and get out."

"Not me, maybe you."

"Hey, hey, hey."

"Come on, man, look at me. You really think I can squeeze through one of them tiny windows? They'd be all over us." He explained as we shimmed keeping our backs close to the wall. "Look, we lay down some fire to get a head start. You stay here; I hop down and draw them away. That gives you the chance to get up the bleachers and out a window."

"And where do you go?" I asked, he took my flashlight and shined it at some door at the other end of the gym.

"Locker room, down those steps." He handed the flashlight back.

"Look, like a good way to get trapped."

"It's got windows too, and more my size." Otis finished explaining as I put the flashlight in my pack. "I get out through one, I double back; we meet up out on the field."

"You're a crazy son of a bitch, ain't you?"

"Just trying to do right for that boy."

"You take three shots and you go. After that I fire, I'll lay down a cover for you. I'll get you a lead." I set my gun as he nodded.

"All right." Otis said, and then he aimed his riffle and took his three shots on a few of the walkers. He ran to the end of our height advantage and jumped off, he landed wrong twisting his ankle with a scream of. Then he cried. "Oh God." As one of the walkers crawling on the ground grabbed his leg.

Otis twisted around screaming as he tried to pull away from it. It was drawing the attention of the rest; I aimed my shotgun and blasted a round in its head. Otis struggled to his feet using the butt of his riffle as a crutch and rose as the walkers headed his way.

I shot several as Otis ran for the stairs leading to the locker room. Once I could no longer see him and most of the walkers had followed I headed to the other end where the bleachers and my exit were waiting.

I jumped down and ran up the steps to the window I placed the pack Otis had given me on the floor under the window; I used the butt of my shotgun and busted out said window, not wanting to cut myself. I grunted with the effort as I continued to break the window until I could get out, my muscles were protesting as the ache I'd been feeling all day made its self-known.

I heard a moan behind me, I turned and saw a couple of walkers that hadn't followed Otis, I cocked my shotgun and fired right in its center mass, throwing it off balance as it fell back into the one behind it which was pushed back, that one lost it's footing as he fell over the rail to the ground below.

I grabbed the pack on the floor and looking through the broken window down at the bushes, I let the bag go, then took the one off my back and repeated the motion, and last I dropped my shotgun, leaving my hands free of anything that could get in the way of crawling out of this blasted second story window, it was several feet between myself, and the not so soft landing of the bushes and hard packed earth.

I eased myself out keeping a hold of the window frame still attached to the building as I sat in on the window sill, I was going to jump, but then I had a second thought and decided against it. So I turned around holding the ledge as I hung there preparing to let go, bracing myself for the impact, when unexpectedly another walker grabbed me by the front of my shirt. I let the ledge go and punched it in the face, my hand came away bloody, as I dented its cheek in, but it still growled at me as it tried to bite me. So I used all my strength and punched again, right in the head, I must've hit the head just right 'cause the thing went limp as it released me.

I wasn't ready for the impact at the point, 'cause when my feet hit the ground one of my ankles twisted excruciatingly, and the rest of the pain I'd been feeling increased tenfold up my leg as I laid on the ground holding it. I sat somewhat on my side as I held my throbbing ankle and groaned trying to keep from screaming in agony. Would you believe that after this event, this moment, this accident, my strength increased further than before? But at the same time, the pain in my muscles increased as well. So much that I thought I might've been going insane at times, from the sheer pain, of the gift I'd been given, it was like the mutation didn't know when to stop and it in fact started to rip my muscles little by little as time went on.

But at that moment I sat there trying to force myself to rise, when I heard gunshots. Three of them, I knew it had to be Otis, I just didn't know if it meant he was alive, or just got over run, which meant I could very well be on my own. So I got to my feet reluctantly and grabbed the packs, throwing one on my back and grabbing the other one shouldering it as well, then with my shotgun, I limped around the school to the field to meet up with Otis, _if _he was alive that is.

As I came around the school the grassy incline to the back doors that led out into the field that had fences all around the place. I stayed low behind a wall, as I heard and saw the walkers. I moved slowly, keeping low to the ground as I went around the second building to where the field was. I walked up the stairs then stopped as the fences surrounding the field came into view.

I saw a walker there that noticed me; I shot him in the head as he'd headed my way. I limped toward it as walkers were trying to get at me through the fence, I turned and saw three coming from the side, I turned and walked to the fence, I rested my back against it as I pulled the last shell from my pants pocket and loaded the gun while walkers were coming at me from behind, the side and the front.

I felt them push against the fence I was resting on; I pushed back as I cocked my gun then looked at them. I knew this was bad, as I saw part of the fence being pushed down. I hit my elbow against it, a few were knocked back by the force, and I then aimed my gun at the ones in front of me.

I didn't shoot though, they were getting closer and I was breathing hard, I had one last shotgun round and three walkers, I knew I was screwed, until a gunshot sounded and one of them went down, I saw Otis standing there with his riffle. He shot a second one, and I took out the last of them.

I took off one of the packs and handed it to him as he turned around and we headed away from the fence and all those walkers. "Man, I thought I'd lost you." I told 'em as I passed.

"That was my last rifle round." Otis grimily told me.

"Mine too." I informed him as well. "Come on." We both limped our way down the walk headed for the back alley that would bring us around to the street and to where we'd left the truck. I wasn't sure with this many walkers if we'd be able to make it though. But I knew at least one of us had to for Carl's sake, in the back of my mind I knew it had to be me.

We finally got far enough away from those fenced in geeks as we got to the back of the school and down the incline. As I let go of the small fence Otis and I used to help us down with our injured ankles, Otis said. "Come on, man."

"We need a way out." I said as Otis leaned against another fence for support, I did the same resting my back against it as I looked down the street.

"Just let me catch my breath." Otis said between pants.

"Come on." I said calming myself down. We didn't get to rest long as a whole herd pressed against the fence we were leaning on. We backed away as I aimed my pistol at them. I grabbed Otis around the arm as he placed it around my shoulders then we used each other for support. We limped away as fast as we could around the fence straight to the back alley.

We made it to the filthy alley behind the school, when my ankle gave out and I fell. "Oh, shit." I said as I brought Otis down with me. We both groaned as we laid there.

"Got to get to the street, double back to the truck." Otis said. I had my doubts.

"Look, we ain't gonna make it okay?" I told him, I started to give up the hope that we'd make it back to the farm, with the supplies for Carl, I wanted to live, I wanted to survive, I was just so fucking tired from running.

"Got to try, man. Come on, get up." Otis said as he stood.

"You're gonna take these bags and you're gonna go." I told him as I took the pack off. I was done, given up, what happened next and in the week to come I wish he'd done what I had told him to do, leave me there.

"I ain't leaving you behind." Otis was a good man, he deserved better than me as his partner in that moment. I could hear the growling and moaning from walkers as they found us.

"Okay." I said as I hit the pavement, I noticed it splintered a little, I slowly rose to my feet with Otis, I grabbed the pack I'd taken off as I asked. "How many rounds you got left?"

"Four, you?"

"Five and one in the pipe."

They were getting closer, snarling and growling after us. I stood then helped Otis to his feet. We moved as fast as possible with our sore ankles, he turned and shot one. I turned and did the same, watching it fall.

I made it to the truck threw the pack in the passenger seat and started the engine, then closing the door I drove for the farm, hoping I wouldn't be too late to save Carl as I pushed the peddle to the metal. I arrived at the gate, got out long enough to open it, and close it behind me. I was greeted by Hershel, Rick, Lori, that Maggie chick, even T-Dog and Glenn who'd shown up at some point while I was gone.

I gave them the sad news about Otis; I didn't know how to tell them what really happened, so I lied, I painted a picture of Otis's heroic death. They believed me, every word I said. Then all we could do was wait for Hershel, who'd taken the packs with the equipment needed to save Carl, too come out and tell us the verdict. If I was in time or not, I sat in front of the truck as the events replayed in my mind over and over and over again.

Friendship

After the news of the man named Otis not making it, I'd taken a pack in for Hershel, once he was set up I left closing the door behind me. I saw Maggie come back in, she headed to the kitchen, and I could tell she was hurting, possibly needing someone to talk to, so I followed.

I didn't say anything as I stood there, I didn't need to say anything as Maggie looked at me, then she looked at the floor as she said. "I've known Otis since I was a kid. He's run this farm since before my mother died." Maggie had tears in her eyes, and grief in her voice. I moved from my perch against the counter, I walked to the fridge which was covered in pictures, men, and women, young, and old.

"Who else?" I asked as I looked at her, I specified my question. "Who'd you lose?" She looked at me, tears falling down her cheeks. "You told me I had to make it okay somehow. That's what you've been trying to do, right? Which ones?" I placed my handed against the white fridge that stood there with happier times on it's doors.

She walked to the refrigerator and pointed to one of the pictures of an older woman who was smiling as she sat in a rocking chair. "Stepmother." Her finger moved to a young man, could've been a little older then Maggie, possible he might've been younger then Maggie. "Stepbrother." She took in a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry." I said as I hugged her. She hugged back as her tears fell unbidden, I held her, and this was the start of a beautiful friendship, one that had many _bumps_ in the road.

Hated Myself

After Hershel came out and we all stood up, I was still in front of the truck, he gave us the good news; Carl was stable and would be just fine. I watched Lori go inside to see Carl, after Rick had left with Hershel to give Patricia that news about Otis, I followed behind.

I stopped outside the screen door as I watched Lori, she was watching Hershel and Rick telling Patricia, I heard her broken sob as I opened the door and walked in. The door closed behind me as I took in the scene with Patricia, who was bent over while Hershel and Rick stood by her side as she cried for the loss of Otis, I pushed the guilt down that kept trying to rise.

I headed to the bedroom and looked in on Lori; she was on her knees next to the bed where Carl was sleeping. She was sobbing; I think her tears were of joy, for her son. She ran one hand over his hair, the other she placed in his hand; she looked up as I came into the room.

Neither of us broke the silence as I leaned against the wall and watched her with Carl. Then she said the one thing I never expected. "Stay." I knew what she meant, I slowly nodded. She followed my nod with a nod of her own as she brought Carl's hand to her mouth and kissed it. I swallowed hard, and then I left her to be with him.

I wasn't sure where I was headed, I just walked to the stairs when Maggie came out of one of the rooms and handed me a pile of clothes. "The bathrooms upstairs. I brought you some clothes." She said as I took them from here.

"Thank you."

"They won't fit well, they were Otis's." Maggie looked sad as she walked away. I knew I needed a shower, I was covered with dirt and grime, and I stunk of guilt as well.

I walked up the stairs and entered the bathroom. I turned the facet on hot, and then took off my shirt, boots, and pants I left my boxers on as I set my gun on the toilet with my filthy clothes. I turned to the mirror over the sink and looked at myself. I had a necklace I always wore with a 22 hanging from it, the tattoo of some ex-girlfriend, and the scares of the past.

I looked in the mirror at myself, as the memory of what happened came back, again, it replayed over in my mind.

_"How many rounds you got left?" I'd asked Otis._

_"Four, you?"_

_"Five and one in the pipe."_

_They were getting closer, snarling and growling after us. I stood then helped Otis to his feet. We moved as fast as possible with our sore ankles, he turned and shot one. I turned and did the same, watching it fall._

_Otis shot again, I fired again, Otis shot, I shot, and we went that way until I had one bullet left. "Down to my last one." Otis said._

_"Me too." I knew I had to do something, we were going to die. I had to save Carl; I had to be the one that lived. I stopped and looked at Otis. "I'm sorry." He looked confused. I didn't want to waste the bullet so I picked up my foot using all my strength I kicked Otis right in the knee cap. He screamed as his knee dislocated and broke as his leg bent backwards then he fell to the ground._

_I grabbed the pack and pulled it away from him, the straps ripped a little as they gave way. Otis fought me weakly as he cried in pain. The walkers were catching up as they could smell the blood that was pooling at his leg where a piece of bone had torn open the back of it._

_Otis tried to grab at me, he missed, and as I limped away I heard Otis scream. "I'll kill you!" I stopped at a bus on the side of the road, when I turned and saw him being eaten alive; he gave me this look of, betrayal, so I aimed my gun and shot him between the eyes. That was the only mercy I could bestow on the man I just sacrificed to save myself, and Carl._

_I holstered my gun, shouldered the pack, and then I grabbed the edge of the bus and gritting my teeth I moved it to block the street giving me the lead I needed as they fed on Otis and were slowed by the bus._

_I made it to the truck and left for the farm._

I hated myself, I looked in the mirror and I didn't like who I saw. I realized then that I had to change my look, do something to get passed the revulsion I felt. I searched the medicine cabinet, nothing. I looked through the drawers until I found an electric razor. I plugged it in, and started shaving my head. At first I thought I'd miss my hair. But as I finished, I ran my hand over the condensation that had built up from the shower that was steaming away ready for me to us it, I looked at my bald head. That felt much better. I got in the shower and washed away the dirt and grime, and the guilt just melted with the heat, I was no longer the Shane of the old world. I was now a new Shane, one that would do whatever I had to, in order to survive and protect my family.


End file.
